Scott Gomezhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/taxonomy/term/125/all
enBrothers In Armshttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-11/brothers-arms
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U.S. Olympians And Wounded Warriors Form Bonds That Will Last A Lifetime </div>
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/18">Tom Ferda</a> </div>
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<p><strong><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/brothers-kane-usa.jpg" alt="Unity, Sacrifice and Attitude were traits that carried the U.S. Team to the gold-medal game at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games." title="Unity, Sacrifice and Attitude were traits that carried the U.S. Team to the gold-medal game at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games." class="image image-_original " width="288" height="432" /><span class="caption" style="width: 286px;">Unity, Sacrifice and Attitude were traits that carried the U.S. Team to the gold-medal game at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.</span></span></strong>When members of the U.S. Olympic Team hit the ice for their opening game against Switzerland at the 2010 Vancouver Games, they carried with them not only the hopes of an entire nation but the ideals of some of its finest heroes.</p>
<p>Fueled by the stories of unity, sacrifice and attitude from a special group of U.S. service members, the upstart Americans came within an overtime goal of shocking the hockey world by employing the same character and grit that is displayed on battlefields and remote military outposts around the world.</p>
<p>The idea of teaming up with Operation Homefront, a non-profit group that provides services to wounded war veterans, was the brainchild of U.S. General Manager Brian Burke, who has a long history of reaching out to the military.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When I first got the assignment to handle the Olympic Team, I met with Jerry Colangelo who put together the Olympic basketball team and asked him what the components were,&rdquo; Burke recalled. </p>
<p>&ldquo;He gave me a checklist and one of the things on the list was tied to the military. So I asked him if the military would be receptive to a [wounded warriors program].&rdquo;</p>
<p>Burke followed that conversation up by orchestrating an integrated program between the wounded warriors and the U.S. squad that lasted for the duration of the Olympic Winter Games. </p>
<p>It started with a three-day orientation camp, where the U.S. brain trust brought three decorated veterans to talk about what it means to be part of a military unit and fighting not only for yourself but the person next to you in the foxhole.</p>
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<h2>&ldquo;They were trying to get the message across that you are a team, whether you have to accomplish a mission or you&rsquo;re going for a gold medal.&rdquo;</h2>
<h2>&mdash; Scott Gomez</h2>
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<p>Army Rangers Joe Dames and Chad Fleming, along with Navy SEAL Michael Thornton, described their military experiences on the battlefield in chilling detail, and how they wouldn&rsquo;t be here today without the support of those in their respective units.</p>
<p>&ldquo;They were trying to get the message across that you are a team, whether you have to accomplish a mission or you&rsquo;re going for a gold medal,&rdquo; said forward Scott Gomez, who participated in the camp.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Everyone has to be on the same page. Everyone has to be focused on the goal at hand. There&rsquo;s going to be stuff that&rsquo;s going to happen. You have to back each other up.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Fleming arrived wearing a prosthetic lower limb, the result of one of his tours in Iraq, and talked about how he has since reinvented his life, taking on the role of motivational speaker, starring in a national music video and competing in 5K races.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Here&rsquo;s a guy who has served his country honorably,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;He [returned to the sand], doing two tours of duty in Iraq with a prosthetic limb. He&rsquo;s a tough guy.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The success of that first meeting inspired Burke to carry the program forward, pairing a wounded warrior with each member of the 23-man roster, who received a package that contained a flag, personal letter and personal item from a specific wounded warrior that was teamed up with him. These items were kept in their locker room stalls throughout the Games.</p>
<p>Dames, a former Army captain who was injured in a suicide bombing attack during his last tour in Iraq in 2009, was impressed by how attentive the U.S. players were when they met in Chicago.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I spoke in front of the team at the team dinner and shared some of the personal details of my story,&rdquo; Dames recalled. &ldquo;Even after I was wounded, the mission wasn&rsquo;t over&hellip;we had to continue to fight on that mission. </p>
<p>&ldquo;[Head coach Ron Wilson] later told me he used my story to motivate the team between periods [in Vancouver]. It inspired the team to push a little bit harder and dig a little bit deeper. Knowing that touched me in a special way. It was great to see a group of Americans out on the ice fighting for our country in their own way.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Led by Olympic MVP goaltender Ryan Miller, the U.S. Team played inspired hockey throughout the tournament, displaying staunch resolve and a sense of purpose that helped them power through the round-robin portion of the tournament field and into the gold-medal rematch against high-powered hosts and their rabid fans.</p>
<p>Burke credits the message brought by the heroes in uniform for the overachieving performance of his players.</p>
<p>&ldquo;These guys were one of the driving forces behind our play,&rdquo; said U.S. captain Jamie Langenbrunner. &ldquo;We believed in ourselves, but during the orientation we realized what we were playing for. What it meant to [these soldiers] for us to represent them and play for our country. We felt like we had to lay it on the line. It really hit home for a lot of guys.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Burke is no stranger when it comes to the military. A dual citizen, he has shown strong support for both the U.S. and Canadian armed forces. In fact, when his Anaheim Ducks team won the Stanley Cup in 2007, one of the first things he did was take the Stanley Cup to Camp Pendleton to share the victory with a group of Marines.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re in debt to the servicemen and women in this country,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;We think we have pressure-packed jobs, but when I made my second trip to Afghanistan to visit the Canadian soldiers there, I saw a guy with his blood type on his sleeve. You start thinking, &lsquo;my job isn&rsquo;t so pressure-packed.&rsquo; &rdquo;&nbsp; </p>
<p>Dames hadn&rsquo;t spent a lot of time watching hockey but quickly grew attached to the game and those who play it. </p>
<p>&ldquo;I connected immediately with the fact they operated in controlled chaos,&rdquo; Dames said. &ldquo;Hockey is a perfect example of having a general plan going into the fight, but turning unpredictable circumstances into success.&nbsp; </p>
<p>&ldquo;They adapt and overcome challenges on the ice the same way we overcome challenges on the battlefield. Yes, the stakes are different, but we all carry America&rsquo;s torch with pride and honor.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Coming from a real-life American hero, those are some pretty powerful words.</p>
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<p><em>Tom Ferda is a freelance writer based in Atlanta.</em></p>
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Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2011-11">2011-11</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-11/brothers-arms#comments2010 U.S. Olympic TeamMilitaryPatrick KaneScott GomezFeatureMon, 07 Nov 2011 21:07:48 +0000admin5744 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comCreating And Defending On A 2-On-2http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2010-01/creating-and-defending-2-2
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With Scott Gomez and Brian Rafalski, New Jersey Devils </div>
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/99">USA Hockey Magazine</a> </div>
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<p>A 2-on-2 is one of the most common plays in hockey, yet many orwards don&rsquo;t know how to turn this even-man situation to their advantage. As a forward attacking the offensive zone, your goal is to create an odd-man situation, which will lead to a better scoring chance. As a defender, you want to work to keep the situation even, maintaining a tight gap will slow the play down and allow your backcheckers to join the play.</p>
<p>&nbsp;<br /><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/tips_1.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="360" height="371" /></span></p>
<h3>Tip #1</h3>
<p>As the forwards head up ice on a 2-on-2, they have several options to isolate one defender and turn the play into a 2-on-1. One way to do this is for the puck carrier to cut across the ice and attack the opposite defenseman as the off wing cuts behind the puck carrier and darts into the area between the two defenders, in effect creating a 2-on-1.</p>
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<h3>Tip #2</h3>
<p>How the defensemen play this will depend in large part where they are on the ice. A good rule of thumb is for defensemen to stay in their lanes if the play is still in the neutral zone. Once they&rsquo;re inside the blueline, if the forwards criss-cross, the defenseman should stay with his man as he cuts across the ice while the other defenseman sags and picks up the other forward.</p>
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<h3>Tip #3</h3>
<p>The puck carrier can also swing wide, taking the defenseman with him toward the boards. The off wing can then shoot the gap and receive a quick pass in hopes of beating the other defender to the net.</p>
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<h3>Tip #4</h3>
<p>The key for the defensemen is to stay with their men. As one defender stays with the puck carrier, forcing him toward the boards and to a bad angle, his defensive partner needs to stay with the off wing, keeping his body between the forward and the goal while attempting to cut off a passing lane.</p>
<h3>Remember This &hellip;</h3>
<p>The forwards use their speed to create time and space and isolate one defenseman. For the defensemen, the idea is to keep a tight gap and take away the creativity that comes with time and space. They want to create two separate 1-on-1s. It&rsquo;s a battle of wills to determine who will come out on top.</p>
<h6><em>photo by Getty Images</em></h6>
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<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/gomez_rafalski.thumbnail.png" alt="" title="" class="image image-thumbnail " width="96" height="100" /></span></p>
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<a href="/issue/2010-01">2010-01</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2010-01/creating-and-defending-2-2#commentsBrian RafalskiHockey tipsNew Jersey DevilsScott GomezTips from the StarsSun, 03 Jan 2010 16:03:03 +0000356 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comU.S. Bondshttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-10/us-bonds
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Off-Ice Team Building Overshadows On-Ice Drills at Olympic Orientation Camp </div>
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<a href="/node/12">Harry Thompson</a> </div>
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<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/usbonds1.jpg" alt="Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks, left, and Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks shake the rust off during the first day of practice at the U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp in Woodridge, Ill." title="Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks, left, and Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks shake the rust off during the first day of practice at the U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp in Woodridge, Ill." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="350" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks, left, and Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks shake the rust off during the first day of practice at the U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp in Woodridge, Ill.</span></span></strong></p>
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<p>Brian Burke is, among other things, a realist. He knows that not one thin dime will be bet on the U.S. Olympic Team to win the gold in Vancouver.</p>
<p>Whether it&rsquo;s overstating the obvious or simply looking to rally his troops, the general manager of the U.S. Olympic Team is looking to create a mindset that it will be the U.S. against the world when the puck drops on what may be the last time NHL players skate for their respective countries under the Olympic banner.</p>
<p>And when things look bleakest, when the rest of the world is against you, you only have your teammates to count on.</p>
<p>Looking to cultivate that mentality, Burke and head coach Ron Wilson enlisted the help of some of the most decorated servicemen in history to address their players on the importance of an all-for-one and one-for-all attitude, especially in the face of overwhelming odds.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I want to build a team and some camaraderie,&rdquo; said Wilson, who will be coaching in his second Olympics. </p>
<p>&ldquo;You can never become a team unless you can trust the guys to the left, right, front and center. That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re trying to establish here.&rdquo;</p>
<p>There may be no better way to drive that point home for a group of young players than to have them hear it from a real-life American military hero.<br />&nbsp;<br />As part of the team-building efforts&nbsp; at the epicenter of the three-day camp, the U.S. brain trust brought three decorated veterans to talk about what it means to be part of a military unit and fighting not only for yourself but the person next to you in the foxhole.</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/usbonds-3-guys.jpg" alt="Scott Gomez, Ryan Malone and Ryan Callahan get ready to hit the ice for another practice." title="Scott Gomez, Ryan Malone and Ryan Callahan get ready to hit the ice for another practice." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="350" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Scott Gomez, Ryan Malone and Ryan Callahan get ready to hit the ice for another practice.</span></span></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Army Rangers Joe Dames and Chad Flemming, along with Navy Seal Michael Thornton, described their military experiences on the battlefield in chilling detail, and how they wouldn&rsquo;t be here today without the support of those in their unit.</p>
<p>&ldquo;To listen to their stories and to hear what these guys accomplished and what they did for our country was just amazing,&rdquo; said veteran forward Scott Gomez.</p>
<p>&ldquo;They were trying to get the message across that you are a team, whether you have to accomplish a mission or you&rsquo;re going for a gold medal. Everyone has to be on the same page. Everyone has to be focused on the goal at hand. There&rsquo;s going to be stuff that&rsquo;s going to happen. You have to back each other up.&rdquo;</p>
<p>With only three days together before players went their separate ways to NHL training camps, Wilson crammed as many team-building exercises into a short time as he could.</p>
<p>Systems were discussed, paperwork was filed and players were able to shake off the rust. But most importantly, friendships were made and players who are enemies during the 82-game season became friends.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve gotten to know a lot of guys from across the U.S. and across the league,&rdquo; said Mike Komisarek, who will play for Wilson in Toronto after six years with the Montreal Canadiens. &ldquo;We worked hard when we were on the ice but also had some fun off it. All in all, it&rsquo;s been an awesome experience.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;We covered a lot of things that we needed to cover,&rdquo; added Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas. </p>
<p>&ldquo;Early in the summer I was asking myself why are we getting together now, and now I understand.&rdquo;</p>
<p>As was stressed throughout the week, this was not a tryout camp. Players were selected based on a number of factors, including how well they played last season. The U.S. leadership scouted American players last season and filed extensive reports that were compiled to create a list of prospective players. </p>
<p>Burke was quick to point out that just because a player was not invited to the camp, he still has a good chance to make the U.S. Team if he has a strong start to the 2009-10 season.</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/usbonds-3-guys-signing.jpg" alt="T.J. Oshie, Ryan Kesler and Bobby Ryan take time to sign a few autographs for young fans at the Seven Bridges rink in Woodridge, Ill." title="T.J. Oshie, Ryan Kesler and Bobby Ryan take time to sign a few autographs for young fans at the Seven Bridges rink in Woodridge, Ill." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="465" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">T.J. Oshie, Ryan Kesler and Bobby Ryan take time to sign a few autographs for young fans at the Seven Bridges rink in Woodridge, Ill.</span></span></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;The selection process is far from over,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;We expect to name the team around Dec. 30, so a player who comes out of the gate and has a great start is still very much alive. This is not necessarily the group that will represent us in Vancouver, but if we&rsquo;ve done our job we should be pretty close.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Now that the camp is over, the real tryouts will begin once the puck is dropped on the NHL season. Burke and crew will fan out over the league to watch as many American-born players as they can to see who&rsquo;s playing well enough for one of the coveted 23 roster spots.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Once the season starts I have to try to help the Kings win hockey games and hope that everything takes care of itself,&rdquo; said Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jack Johnson. </p>
<p>&ldquo;Obviously it will be in the back of my head because this is something that I&rsquo;d give anything to play in, but I have to do my job in L.A., first and foremost.&rdquo;</p>
<p>As players and coaches tend to the matters at hand, Wilson hopes some of what was discussed in <br />Chicago will take hold somewhere in the back of the brain. To reinforce things, he plans to wait until after the team is named to send out a DVD with various systems and concepts of how he wants the team to play once they hit the ice in Vancouver.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We want to be an aggressive forechecking team that&rsquo;s on the attack all the time. We don&rsquo;t want to give up possession of the puck, and when we don&rsquo;t have it we want to get it back as quickly as possible,&rdquo; said Wilson. </p>
<p>&ldquo;Three practices in August are not going to win the Olympic Games. This was about a mindset, a philosophy of how we&rsquo;re going to play the Games. I want them to hear that in the back of their heads throughout the year.&rdquo;</p>
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<h6>Photos by Ross Dettman<br /></h6>
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<a href="/issue/2009-10">2009-10</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-10/us-bonds#commentsBobby RyanBrian BurkeJack JohnsonJoe PavelskiMike KomisarekRon WilsonRyan CallahanRyan MaloneScott GomezT.J. OshieFeatureTue, 06 Oct 2009 18:09:08 +00001612 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comLittle Big Menhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-12/little-big-men
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Many Scouts Accuse Players Of Being Too Small For the NHL. But Many Under 6 Feet Are Surviving And Thriving In The Land Of The Giants. </div>
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/38">Kevin Oklobzija</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0812_1little-big-spread.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="407" /></span></p>
<p>When Penny Gionta first introduced her kids to skating, she was hoping a winter extra-curricular activity would enrich their lives while at the same time keep them away from the television.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />She never imagined her middle son, Brian, would take such a liking to hockey. But he was captivated by the game. There was never enough time to skate, never enough time to dart around the ice with a stick and puck.<br />&nbsp;<br />And never any way to see over the boards.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Through Mites, Squirts and even to Peewees, the boards were always taller than Brian Gionta.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Not that being the littlest guy on the ice ever mattered to Gionta or his first coaches in Rochester, N.Y. His skill level always prompted league organizers to push him up one age class. After all, hockey isn&rsquo;t like the rollercoaster at Six Flags. There&rsquo;s no height requirement.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />So when Gionta should have played Mite minor, he was in Mite major. When his age group was playing Mite major, he played Squirt minor. And the year after, he was in Squirt major.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Ah, but then along came Peewees. Suddenly checking became a part of the game. Suddenly Gionta was in line for the rollercoaster and the attendant shooed him away.</p>
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<h2>Too Small, Too Fragile</h2>
<p>&ldquo;They told me I had to play with my normal age group,&rdquo; Gionta recalls. &ldquo;I guess they were afraid I wouldn&rsquo;t adjust well to the hitting. That&rsquo;s the first time I was told that because of my size, I couldn&rsquo;t do something.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Ever see a 12-year-old hockey player, a kid with undeniable desire to succeed, throw a tantrum? It&rsquo;s not pretty.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&ldquo;I was not happy at all,&rdquo; Gionta says, remembering the moment as if it was yesterday, even though 18 years have passed.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />That blanket &ldquo;you&rsquo;re too little&rdquo; judgment became an all-too-familiar refrain.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&ldquo;In high school I was told I couldn&rsquo;t make the jump to Junior B,&rdquo; Gionta says. &ldquo;In Junior B, I was told I wouldn&rsquo;t make it in Junior A (despite scoring 52 goals in 28 games in 1994-95). But my coach with the Niagara Scenic (a Junior A team then coached by Chris Hicks) never doubted me.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Hicks even told Penny and Sam Gionta that some NCAA school would be giving their son a full-ride scholarship. He saw Brian battle, scoot and dart through and around defenders to score 104 goals and 218 points in 101 games over two seasons.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Once at Boston College, the early-years doubts were hard to imagine. He scored 123 goals and 232 points in 164 games during his four-year collegiate career from 1997-98 to 2000-01. He was a three-time First&nbsp; Team NCAA East All-American and twice a Hobey Baker Award finalist.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />The New Jersey Devils were convinced of what he could do by his freshman year. They drafted Gionta in the third round, 82nd overall, in 1998. In his fourth NHL season, 2005-06, he played in all 82 games and set a Devils franchise record with 48 goals.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&ldquo;We traded up [in the draft] to take Brian Gionta,&rdquo; says David Conte, the executive vice president of hockey operations for the Devils and a draft guru.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&ldquo;Personally, I would rather have a good big guy than a good small guy. But whether you&rsquo;re big or small, you can&rsquo;t hide, cheat or fake talent. It really isn&rsquo;t important what I think, it&rsquo;s important what the player thinks. Brian Gionta plays like he&rsquo;s 6-foot-2.&rdquo;</p>
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<h2>Steal Of The Draft</h2>
<p>So does another Boston College product, Nathan Gerbe of Oxford, Mich. After having a solid training camp with the Buffalo Sabres, Gerbe started this season with the American Hockey League&rsquo;s Portland Pirates and was piling up goals through the first month of the season.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />The Sabres know they have a steal out of the draft after selecting him in the fifth round (142nd overall) in 2005.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t that smart, though,&rdquo; Sabres general manager Darcy Regier says. &ldquo;We passed over him four times.&rdquo;</p>
<p>So did everyone else. But the 2005 draft was before the NHL decided to let the little guy play. Gerbe stands just 5-foot-5 and weighs 160 pounds. He was just what NHL scouts didn&rsquo;t want in the pre-lockout era of clutch-and-grab, hug-and-hold hockey.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Clearly there has always been a prejudice, but there&rsquo;s less of that prejudice now,&rdquo; Conte says.<br />&nbsp;<br />The bias was justified, though. Turn on the NHL Network or ESPN Classic when playoff games from the 1990s or early 2000s are airing. You&rsquo;ll wonder why they&rsquo;re even wearing skates.</p>
<p>&ldquo;You can look at the draft picks by some teams and they had nothing but big guys,&rdquo; Regier says. &ldquo;I was watching Detroit-Winnipeg one night and no one could go anywhere,&rdquo; Regier says.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think a small player could play in that area because they couldn&rsquo;t move.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0812_lb-Parise-and-Gionta.jpg" alt="Zach Parise (5-foot-11) and Brian Gionta (5-foot-7) are two big reasons why the New Jersey Devils are among the top teams in the NHL." title="Zach Parise (5-foot-11) and Brian Gionta (5-foot-7) are two big reasons why the New Jersey Devils are among the top teams in the NHL." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="372" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Zach Parise (5-foot-11) and Brian Gionta (5-foot-7) are two big reasons why the New Jersey Devils are among the top teams in the NHL.</span></span></strong></p>
<h2>Dart And Dodge</h2>
<p>Indeed, that&rsquo;s exactly what Tampa Bay Lightning winger Martin St. Louis told the NHL as the lockout was ending, when players and executives decided to implement the crackdown on stick fouls and interference.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I have to fake going one way so as not to be viewed as going into the offensive zone and then cut back the other way,&rdquo; St. Louis told the committee. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s just to get open. If somebody gets a stick in my legs or hips, I&rsquo;m done. I have to start over.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />That&rsquo;s not the case today. Players like Gionta, Daniel Briere, Derek Roy and Brett Sterling are as valuable as the 6-foot-4, 225-pound winger. </p>
<p>Gerbe will soon be in Buffalo. Other mighty Mites have earned NHL and AHL contracts, like 5-8, 165-pound Marty Sertich of Coleraine, Minn.</p>
<p>Sertich, the 2005 Hobey Baker Award winner while at Colorado College, plays for the AHL&rsquo;s Lake Erie Monsters with other Colorado Avalanche prospects. He was undrafted and signed as a free agent.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Every year I&rsquo;m one of the smallest guys,&rdquo; Sertich says. &ldquo;A lot of guys have a lot of pounds on me.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />Which is why he didn&rsquo;t know if hockey could become a vocation after college.<br />&ldquo;Even when I got to my junior and senior year, I was thinking, &lsquo;What am I going to do?&rsquo;&rdquo; Sertich admits. &ldquo;I was undrafted and I still <br />wasn&rsquo;t thinking about pro hockey.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Fuel To The Fire</h2>
<p>Like so many others, however, Sertich refused to let a stereotype control his life. Karl Goehring plays with the same inner desire. He&rsquo;s a goalie, but at 5-foot-6 and 160 pounds, he has often been bypassed because he&rsquo;s supposedly too small.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve kinda just become accustomed to it,&rdquo; says Goehring, a native of Apple Valley, Minn. &ldquo;My agent [Neil Sheehy] always says, &lsquo;Big guys have to prove they can&rsquo;t play, and little guys have to prove they can play.&rsquo; That thinking is always there to serve as fuel to the fire.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />Goehring was a star at the University of North Dakota from 1997-98 through 2000-01. Now in his eighth AHL season, he knows NHL teams believe he&rsquo;s too small to play. But he scoffs at the popular belief that small goalies wear down physically over the course of a busy season.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There are too many things you can do to keep your body fresh in terms of nutrition, rest, sleep habits,&rdquo; Goehring says.</p>
<p>That seems to be a popular message among players of various sizes and skill levels.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no way I could compete if I didn&rsquo;t put in time in the weight room during the summer,&rdquo; Sertich says.</p>
<p>Indeed, dedication is so important to success. So, too, is the determination to overcome.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re short on stature, you can&rsquo;t be short on character,&rdquo; Conte says.</p>
<p>When Regier watched Gerbe, he didn&rsquo;t see a tiny hockey player. He saw a winner.</p>
<p>&ldquo;What stood out was his fierce competitiveness,&rdquo; Regier says. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t go into a draft saying &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t draft anybody under 6 feet tall. We&rsquo;re drafting players who love to play, are highly competitive and have skill.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Proof Positive</h2>
<p>In essence, you&rsquo;re only little if you think you are, as Gerbe and Gionta have proven.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Brian never had any stigma that he was small,&rdquo; Penny Gionta says. &ldquo;My in-laws are 4-foot-10. We&rsquo;re not big, the kids aren&rsquo;t big. But every time Brian was told &lsquo;You can&rsquo;t do this,&rsquo; it lit an even bigger fire under his buns.&rdquo;</p>
<p>That fire burned big. Real big.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We heard so often he&rsquo;s too small for this, he&rsquo;s too small for that,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;But if you&rsquo;re a smaller player and you have to work harder to make the grade, I think it makes you a better player. Always having to prove yourself isn&rsquo;t a bad thing in life.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />Gerbe admits that seeing Gionta dominate at Boston College, then shine on the NHL stage, gave him even more of a reason not to give up.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It gives you hope, it gives you motivation,&rdquo; Gerbe says.</p>
<p>Gionta knows he&rsquo;s a role model for smallish kids in youth hockey programs throughout the country, too. Kids write him letters. When he&rsquo;s skating in the summer at home in Rochester, or making a public appearance through the Devils, youngsters flock.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;For sure, there have been plenty of small kids in the rink that come up to you and say, &lsquo;I enjoy watching you play, you give me hope,&rsquo; &rdquo; Gionta says.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;The thing I tell kids is to have fun. If you&rsquo;re having fun and loving the game, then you&rsquo;re the only person that can hold you back.&rdquo; </p>
<p><em>Kevin Oklobzija covers hockey for the Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat &amp; Chronicle.</em></p>
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<a href="/issue/2008-12">2008-12</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-12/little-big-men#commentsBrett LebdaBrian GiontaBrian RafalskiChris DruryDetroit Red WingsJason BlakeMike YorkNew Jersey DevilsNew York RangersNHLPatrick KanePhil KesselScott GomezShort playersZach PariseFeatureThu, 16 Jul 2009 17:21:04 +0000837 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comImproving Your Release And Accuracyhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-06/improving-your-release-and-accuracy
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With Scott Gomez of the New York Rangers </div>
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/99">USA Hockey Magazine</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0610-tips-Scott-Gomez.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="180" height="217" /></span>You can&rsquo;t stand still and shoot a puck hard. You need to get your body moving forward to get momentum behind your shot. That means getting your legs into the act. It&rsquo;s kind of like throwing a ball. If you have no forward motion, you won&rsquo;t be able to throw a ball as fast or as far. And if you want to have a strong shot, use your legs, which are the strongest part of your body.</p>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Tip #1</h3>
<p>You can&rsquo;t stand still and shoot a puck hard. You need to get your body moving forward to get momentum behind your shot. That means getting your legs into the act. It&rsquo;s kind of like throwing a ball. If you have no forward motion, you won&rsquo;t be able to throw a ball as fast or as far. And if you want to have a strong shot, use your legs, which are the strongest part of your body.</p>
<h3></h3>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Tip #2</h3>
<p>One of the biggest questions I hear is, &lsquo;Where should the puck be &ndash; in close to my body or out away from it?&rsquo; The position of the puck varies depending on the situation. You may not have time to tee it up the way you&rsquo;d like. A lot of great goal scorers move the puck in toward their bodies as they get ready to shoot. This changes the release point and may fool a goaltender. It also allows you to generate more power with the shot closer to your body than with your arms away from your body.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0610-tipstars-3.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="180" height="219" /></span></p>
<h3>Tip #3</h3>
<p>As I said, you don&rsquo;t always have a lot of time to get the shot off. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s important to be able to shoot off both feet and practice a quick release. But before you start cranking shots that way, it&rsquo;s best to learn how to properly transfer your weight from your back foot to your front as you&rsquo;re following through on a shot. You&rsquo;ll get more power this way.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0610-tipstars-4.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="370" height="282" /></span></p>
<h3>Tip #4</h3>
<p>To practice your release and accuracy, one of my favorite drills is to line up 10 feet from the boards and aim at a spot. As you improve, pick a smaller spot. Soon you can progress to a net, picking a corner and trying to put the puck there. It&rsquo;s a simple drill, but it&rsquo;s great because you can do it on your own.</p>
<h3>Remember This &hellip;</h3>
<p>You shoot to score goals and to do that you have to get the puck on net. It doesn&rsquo;t matter how hard you shoot if you can&rsquo;t hit the net. My coaches always emphasized accuracy over velocity. It&rsquo;s a lesson I&rsquo;ve carried with me to the pros.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h6>photo by Getty Images</h6>
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<a href="/issue/2009-06">2009-06</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-06/improving-your-release-and-accuracy#commentsHockey tipsNew Jersey DevilsNew York RangersScott GomezTips from the StarsFri, 05 Jun 2009 17:59:05 +0000579 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comOne-Touch Passes Keep Opponents Off Balancehttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/one-touch-passes-keep-opponents-balance
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/99">USA Hockey Magazine</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Gomez-USA.clip_.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="260" height="345" /></span>One-touch passes are a great way to keep the opposition on their heels and you one step ahead of the play. Worked to perfection, a one-touch pass lets the puck to do the work as opposed to you skating with it all the time. By quickly moving the puck around you&rsquo;re not allowing the opposition to put pressure on the puck carrier.</p>
<h3>Tip #1</h3>
<p>You have to be able to anticipate where you&rsquo;re moving the puck by knowing where your teammates are on the ice at all times. So when a pass comes you&rsquo;ve already decided what you&rsquo;re going to go with it.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Tip #2</h3>
<p>There are several classic examples of when one-touch passes are effective: defensemen getting the puck in the neutral zone and making a quick one-touch pass to a forward to get back on the attack, the give-and-go, or a one-touch pass to a teammate open for a shot on goal.</p>
<h3><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/tip_0.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="175" height="220" /></span>Tip #3</h3>
<p>Not only do you have to know where you teammate is, you must also be conscience of whether he&rsquo;s a left-handed or right-handed shot so you can get the puck to him without breaking stride. On a one-time pass to a shooter, make sure you get the pass into a teammate&rsquo;s &ldquo;wheelhouse&rdquo;, the area where he can catch the pass and release the shot in one fluid motion.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Tip #4</h3>
<p>You want to keep your bottom hand lower on the stick to give you more strength and support. If your bottom hand is too high on the shaft, your return pass won&rsquo;t be as strong or as accurate.</p>
<h3><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/tip3_0.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="275" height="170" /></span>Tip #5</h3>
<p>You want to have soft hands when making a one-touch pass. If you have &ldquo;hands of stone&rdquo;, the puck will shoot off your stick too quickly and won&rsquo;t be accurate. It will be difficult to handle because it won&rsquo;t have any spin on the pass. Don&rsquo;t slap at the puck, cushion it with the middle of the blade and send it on to the next target.</p>
<h3>Remember This &hellip;</h3>
<p>The one-touch pass is all about anticipation. Prior to receiving the pass, you have to figure out what you&rsquo;re going to do with it. You always have to be thinking one or two plays ahead. If you can do that, you&rsquo;re likely to catch your opponents flat-footed.</p>
<p><em>photo by Getty Images</em></p>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/one-touch-passes-keep-opponents-balance#commentsHockey tipsNew Jersey DevilsNew York RangersOne-Touch PassesScott GomezTips from the StarsFri, 29 May 2009 15:39:55 +0000350 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comGetting A Shot On Goal Is A Snap With A Good Snap Shothttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-12/getting-shot-goal-snap-good-snap-shot
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With Scott Gomez </div>
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/99">USA Hockey Magazine</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0610-tips-Scott-Gomez.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="180" height="217" /></span>The snap shot is quicker than a wrist shot and more accurate than a slap shot. It&rsquo;s probably the most widely used shot in hockey today. The most important attribute of a good snap shot is the speed with which you can release the puck. </p>
<h3>Tip #1</h3>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0612-tips-franklintip1.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="200" height="242" /></span></p>
<p>One of the most important things when you&rsquo;re shooting is to look before you shoot. A lot of times kids tend to bury their heads before they shoot and guess where the puck is going. I like to take a look and see where the goaltender&rsquo;s at and take aim at a general section of the net that I want to hit. It&rsquo;s very important to lift your head up to where you want to shoot right before you let the puck go.</p>
<h3>Tip #2<br /><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0612-tips-franklintip2.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="360" height="216" /></span></h3>
<p>Sometimes it&rsquo;s not possible to get a good look at the net before you shoot. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s important to always know where you are on the ice and where the net is. If you know the general vicinity when you&rsquo;re not facing the net, it&rsquo;s easier to get a shot off quickly and get it on net where good things can happen.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>Tip #3<br /><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0612-tips-franklintip3.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="380" height="274" /></span></h3>
<p>The snap shot is released from the middle to the tip of the blade. I like to pull the puck into a position that feels comfortable with the toe of my stick. Then I basically shoot the puck off the outer half of my blade. I don&rsquo;t shoot a snap shot off the heel. That&rsquo;s more of a wrist shot. </p>
<h3>Tip #4<br /><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0612-tips-franklintip4.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="200" height="115" /></span></h3>
<p>It&rsquo;s important to practice shooting in awkward positions. You&rsquo;re not always going to be in a perfect position when you find the puck on your stick. That&rsquo;s why I practice shooting off of both feet. It&rsquo;s good to switch it up. In drills, try skating around pylons and practice shooting from different angles.</p>
<h3>Remember This &hellip;</h3>
<p>Dry-land training is very important. If you have a net at home and 10 pucks, you can fire away all day. That&rsquo;s always good practice for when you do get on the ice.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h6>photo by Getty Images &bull; Illustrations by Mike Curti</h6>
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<a href="/issue/2008-12">2008-12</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-12/getting-shot-goal-snap-good-snap-shot#commentsHockey tipsNew Jersey DevilsNew York RangersScott GomezSnap shotTips from the StarsFri, 05 Dec 2008 19:31:49 +0000590 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.com